Paint brush with interchangeable brush heads

ABSTRACT

The present invention consists of a new and improved painting system having a bristle head with an aperture, a slender mounting rod adopted to removably secure the bristle head to the mounting rod and a handle or gripping portion which communicates with the slender mounting rod. It is anticipated that the securing means for securing the bristle head to the slender mounting rod may consist of: a simple tapered end and friction fit into an aperture in the bristle head, or, it may consist of a biased spring element on the slender mounting rod which will be retained in an annular groove in an aperture in the back or rear portion of the bristle head with a push-click type of securement, or, it may even consist of a simple friction fit between a tapered end of the mounting rod which is merely snugly pushed into a corresponding tight fitting aperture located in the back or rear of the handle or gripping portion. The slender mounting rod may be just a few inches long or it may even be a foot or more long. It may take on various configuration such as angled or curved, to make painting easier near upper walls or the ceiling. The handle or gripping portion is also provided with a threaded aperture for securement to a standard pole or telescoping pole.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of paint brushes with removably detachable heads and more particularly those which may be utilized in a wide variety of configurations, including those which allow the painting of upper wall and ceiling areas without the use of a ladder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In reviewing the prior art, there are seen a wide variety of brushes with detachable bristle heads. For example, U.S. Des. Pat. Nos. 412,618 and 408,636 both disclose different configurations of brushes which may be removably attached to the end of a pole. However, they do not illustrate interchangeable brush heads.

[0003] U.S. Pat. No. Des. 299,693 shows an ornamental design for attaching the handle end of a point brush to a pole. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,426,531, 1,086,676 and 3,061,864 all illustrate the use of a splatter or drip shield which is attached to a portion of a paint brush. And U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,737,187, 3,928,886 and 5,479,951 all illustrate brushes which may be positioned on an angle to the handle for certain types of painting jobs.

[0004] Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,502,859, 186,399 and 2,581,141 all disclose a brush head with a coupling device that allows the brush to be swivelled about its handle axis in a 360 degree path, as well as at an angle through a side thumbscrew. However, none of these disclosures show a brush head that is interchangeable or extendable.

[0005] Disclosures which illustrate the use of brushes with flexible bendable handles are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,671,497 and 1,796,001. However, the devices shown in these disclosures do not show bristle brush members that are interchangeable or extendable. U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,658 discloses the use of a paint brush head which may swivel 360 degrees through the use of a ball joint and the paint brush head may also swivel up and down through a semi-circular arc. However, this particular disclosure does now allow for a variety of configurations of extending devices.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,738 illustrates the use of a toilet bowl brush with a push pin and receptacle type of interchangeable head. The brush is further provided with a short section of the handle portion being flexible and elastic to position the brush head properly to clean a toilet bowl. However, this device does not illustrate the use of different configurations of mounting stems for the brush head.

[0007] Similarly, while U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,884 discloses the use of a point brush with removable bristle portions, the brush head may not be swivelled about in the horizontal plane, nor does it hove a variety of configurations for a mounting stem for the brush handle. U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,996 discloses the use of a handle connector to extend a broom handle.

[0008] Finally, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,287 discloses the use of a paint brush handle with a screw-in type of handle, it does not utilize an extendable mounting rod which maybe provided in a wide variety of convenient configurations.

[0009] Thus, nowhere in the prior is seen a point brush painting system with removable brush heads which are mounted to a wide variety of configurations of mounting stems which allow use of the brush configuration in painting situations near the tops of walls or on the ceilings without the use of a ladder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention consists of an improved paint brush painting system with removable bristle heads having a slender mounting rod where the rear or back end of the bristle head is provided with a threaded aperture which is adapted to receive the threaded end of a slender mounting stem which is in turn mounted to a handle or gripping portion. The mounting stem is preferably made from metal, and may be provided in a wide variety of lengths and configurations such as angled configurations or arched configurations. In situations where a longer mounting stem is utilized, this will eliminate the use of a ladder in painting the upper areas of walls for trimming them prior to the use of a paint roller. It may also be used for trimming the edges of a ceiling prior to the use of a point roller. The metal used in manufacture of the improved paint brush system may be either stainless steel for durability and rust resistance against the moisture in paint, or it may be made from chrome coated steel for a pleasing appearance.

[0011] In a separate preferred embodiment of the present invention, a tight press fit may be utilized to firmly and snugly receive the tip end of the mounting rod onto a non-threaded aperture found in the back or rear portion of a paint bristle head. In such a manner the user may merely push on and pull off the paint bristle head from the mounting rod, which saves time when the paint bristle head must be changed often.

[0012] But with either preferred embodiment of the present invention, nonetheless, the point bristle brush head may be swivelled in the horizontal plane though a full 360 degree arc, allowing for complete flexibility in use of the brush. Further, the use of a second threaded aperture in the distal or rear end of the handle or gripping portion of the device makes it possible to readily install or remove the device from the end of a standard threaded pole. In many instances, pointers use specialized extendable threaded poles to mount their paint brushes to, but in any case a standard, inexpensive broom handle may be utilized with the present invention.

[0013] Preferably, the brush handle or gripping portion maybe made from plastic or other polymer for comfort. However, the handle portion could be made from a metal such as stainless steel or a chrome plated steel, where increased durability is desired.

[0014] With respect to the bristle heads, these may be either 0.5″, 1.5″, 2.0″, 2.5″, 3.0″, 3.5″ or 4.0″ in width for a wide variety of painting situations. Also, it is anticipated that the use will desire to have mounting stems of varying lengths, depending upon whether the user is working in a tight space, or whether the user must be provided with a 6″, 1.0′, 2.0′ or greater mounting stem to reach high up areas.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Thus, it is one primary object of the present invention to provide improved paint brush painting systems having interchangeable paint brush heads which are mounted to a slender stem by means of threads provided at the distal end of the mounting stem.

[0016] It is yet another primary object of the present invention to provide improved paint brush painting systems having interchangeable paint brush heads which are mounted to a slender stem by means of a friction fit between the end of the mounting stem and an aperture provided in the rear or back portion of a paint brush head.

[0017] It is still an additional primary object of the present invention to provide improved paint brush painting systems having interchangeable paint brush heads wherein the paint brush heads are mounted such that they are able to swivel though a 360 degree arc in the horizontal plane.

[0018] Yet another primary object of the present invention is to provide improved paint brush painting systems having interchangeable point brush heads wherein the paint brush system may be provided with a variety of mounting rods or slender stems which may be either very short (2.0″ or less) for painting in tight locations, or medium length (6″ to 1.0′) for painting the upper areas of walls without a ladder, or they may even be quite long (1.0′ to 2.0′ or more) for painting ceiling areas without a ladder.

[0019] Still an additional primary object of the present invention is to provide improved paint brush painting systems having interchangeable paint brush heads wherein the mounting stem is made from a durable material such as stainless steel or a chrome plated steel for rigidity during use.

[0020] A further additional primary object of the present invention to provide an improved paint brush painting systems having interchangeable paint brush heads wherein the mounting stem utilized may be provided in a variety of configurations such as angled through various angles, or it may even be arched through a quarter or semi-circle for flexibility in painting in various situations.

[0021] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention can be readily derived from the following detailed description of the drawings taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings present herein and should be considered as within the overall scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022]FIG. 1 is a perspective blown apart view of the present invention showing a first embodiment with a threaded mounting rod in a position to be assembled for convenient use.

[0023]FIG. 2 is a perspective blown apart view of the present invention showing a second embodiment with a push click system for the mounting rod in a position to be assembled for convenient use.

[0024]FIG. 3 is a perspective blown apart view of the present invention showing a third embodiment with a friction mounting rod in a position to be assembled for convenient use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Shown now in FIG. 1 is screw in mount rod painting system 10 which is provided with a gripping or handle portion 12, a slender threaded mounting rod 16 and a bristle head assembly 22. Both the bristle head assembly 22 and the handle portion 12 have been provided with small threaded apertures 20 which are adapted to received the threaded ends 18 of slender threaded mounting rod 16. In such a manner, bristle head assembly 22 may be rotated through any convenient angle relative to gripping handle portion 12, which becomes important when mounting rod 16 is made in a variety of angled or curved configurations, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this particular drawing, slender mounting rod 16 is approximately 3″ or 4″ in length, although mounting rod 16 may be made just an inch or two in length when the user must point a tight space, or it may be conveniently removed and replaced with a much longer version, when it is desired to paint or trim upper wall areas or even ceiling areas.

[0026] Bristle head 22 is standard in configuration with typical nylon bristles which terminate in either a plastic or wooden and metal bristle retainer. The bristle head 22 is anticipated to be provided in any width, typically between ½″ up to and including a full 4.0″ or more in width.

[0027] Handle or gripping portion 12 is further provided with a threaded aperture at its bottom or rear end 14 which is adapted to fit on top of a standard pole or even a telescoping pole. The handle or gripping portion 12 is typically made from plastic or other polymer, but in some instances it may be made from metal or even wood.

[0028]FIG. 2 shows yet a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, push click mounting rod painting system 50 wherein handle 52 connects to slender angled mounting rod 56 by means of biased spring pins 58 which are adapted to fit into an aperture located at the tip of handle or gripping portion 52. The biased spring pins 58 fit snugly into the handle 52 aperture until they click into an inner groove for secure fit. Such a push and click system with biased spring elements is well known in the prior art.

[0029] Angled slender mounting rod 56 may be made from any length from just a few inches, to a foot or more in length. It may also be made with any angle from approximately 90 degrees up to 120 degrees for convenient angled painting near the corners of ceilings in rooms. Typically a softer angle of approximately 120 degrees would be used for such an application, although the user may find other angular configurations more convenient.

[0030] Also shown in this figure is bristle head 62 which is provided with a corresponding aperture 60 which is adapted to fit the end of mounting rod 56 which is provided with a set of biased spring pins 58 for a secure fit. However, in configuring the aperture 60 for the bristle head 52, there is a circular groove which is adapted to fit and retain the end pins 58 of the slender mounting rod 56 so that the bristle head may rotate a full 360 degrees within this groove, as desired by the user of the device.

[0031]FIG. 3 shows yet a third embodiment of the present invention, friction fit mounting rod pointing system 70 which is provided with an handle portion 72, a curved slender mounting rod 76 and a bristle head 82. In this particular embodiment, bristle head 82 is tapered for easier trim painting. Bristle head 82 is provided with a small aperture 84 in its back or rear portion which is adapted to receive and retain tapered end 78 of the curved mounting rod 76. The aperture 84 retains tapered end 78 by means of a simple friction fit, that is, the interior of the aperture 84 is slightly roughened, and the tapered end 78 is slightly roughened so that when it is inserted in aperture 84 it is easily and simply retained against movement. In such a manner, it is easy to insert and change bristle heads and this particular embodiment may be preferred when bristle head changes occur frequently.

[0032] Similarly, gripping portion or handle 72 is provided with an aperture 80 which is adapted to fit and retain tapered end 78 against movement and rotation. Handle 72 may also be provided with a small point splatter shield 73, which may be press fit onto gripping portion or handle 72 so that the user's hand is protect from paint splatters during painting.

[0033] Again, it is anticipated that curved slender mounting rod 76 is made from metal so that it is rigid and durable. In this instance, curved slender mounting rod 76 is approximately 1.0′ in lengths, but other lengths may be utilized by the user for painting convenience.

[0034] Although in the foregoing detailed description the present invention has been described by reference to various specific embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and alterations in the structure and arrangement of those embodiments other than those specifically set forth herein may be achieved by those skilled in the art and that such modifications and alterations are to be considered as within the overall scope of this invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new improved painting system having a handle or gripping portion, a substantially slender metal rod communicating with the handle or gripping portion, a fastening means disposed at the distal end of the slender metal rod, a bristle head having an aperture which is adapted to removably secure the slender metal rod to the bristle head with the fastening means such that the bristle head may be easily rotated by the user a full 360 degrees clockwise or counter clockwise for painting convenience.
 2. The painting system according to claim 1 wherein the fastening means comprises at least one threaded element on the slender mounting rod and at least one corresponding tapped aperture on the back or rear portion of the bristle head.
 3. The painting system according to claim 1 wherein the handle or gripping portion further has a tip portion at one end which communicates with the handle or gripping portion by means of threads located on the slender metal rod and a corresponding aperture is located in the tip of the handle portion for securement of the slender metal rod.
 4. The painting system according to claim 1 in which the slender metal rod further is provided with a bend which allows for easier trim painting.
 5. The painting system according to claim 4 wherein the bend of the slender metal rod is approximately between 30 degrees and 120 degrees from the plane of the handle.
 6. The painting system according to claim 1 in which the slender metal rod further is provided with an arcuate bend along its length which allows for easier trim painting.
 7. The painting system according to claim 6 in which the arcuate bend in the slender metal rod is substantially semi-circular in configuration.
 8. The painting system according to claim 1 in which the handle or gripping portion is further provided with an annular flange to prevent point splatters or drips from covering the user's hand.
 9. The painting system according to claim 1 in which the fastening means for securing the bristle head to the slender mounting rod comprises at least one biased spring element.
 10. The painting system according to claim 1 in which the mounting rod is provided with at least one tapered end and the fastening means for securing the bristle head to the slender mounting rod comprises an aperture in the bristle head which is adapted to removably retain the tapered end of the mounting rod.
 11. The painting system according to claim 1 in which the handle or gripping portion is provided with a tapped aperture which is adapted to removably secure the handle or gripping portion to a standard pole or telescoping pole for painting upper wall areas or ceilings without the use of a ladder. 